Jonathan Masters

The Security Challenge at the 2024 Paris Olympics

French authorities are particularly vigilant of the terrorist threat to the games posed by Islamist extremists, a danger the country has endured for decades.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters July 25, 2024

Politics and Government

The Changing Role of Foreign Policy at the U.S. National Conventions

The quadrennial U.S. presidential nominating conventions often focus on domestic themes. But they have at times been flavored by global economic concerns and national security threats, offering competing Democratic and Republican visions about the United States’ role in the world. In the 2024 race, Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and his challenger, Republican Donald Trump, are projecting starkly different worldviews.

Timeline by Jonathan Masters, Kevin Lizarazo and Jeremy Sherlick June 11, 2024

Israel

U.S. Aid to Israel in Four Charts

Israel has long been the leading recipient of U.S. foreign aid, including military support. That aid has come under heightened scrutiny amid Israel’s monthslong war to eliminate Hamas.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow May 31, 2024

Belarus

The Belarus-Russia Alliance: An Axis of Autocracy in Eastern Europe

Russia has renewed its long-stalled push for unification with Belarus, using the country as a launchpad for its war against Ukraine and a hardening bulwark against NATO rivals to the west.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters September 27, 2023

Russia

How Frozen Russian Assets Could Pay for Rebuilding in Ukraine

Will Ukraine’s international backers use billions of dollars in seized Russian assets to support rebuilding the war-ravaged country?

In Brief by Jonathan Masters July 24, 2023

Russia

Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Mapping U.S. and Russian Deployments

Russia’s threat to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus has raised the specter of a new nuclear standoff with the United States and its allies in Europe. It also draws new attention to how such arms are deployed in NATO states.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow March 30, 2023

Ukraine

How Much U.S. Aid Is Going to Ukraine?

Nine charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow May 9, 2024

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

How NATO Will Change if Finland and Sweden Become Members

NATO leaders are gathering in Madrid for their annual summit, and two Nordic states are making their case for membership as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on. Here’s what alliance enlargement would mean.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters June 29, 2022

United States

U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Control

The nuclear arms race was perhaps the most alarming feature of the Cold War competition between the United States and Soviet Union. Over the decades, the two sides signed various arms control agreements as a means to manage their rivalry and limit the risk of nuclear war. However, deep fissures have reemerged in the U.S.-Russia relationship in recent years, raising once again the specter of a nuclear arms race.

Timeline by Jonathan Masters and Sabine Baumgartner May 10, 2022

Somalia

Al-Shabaab in East Africa

With brazen terrorist attacks at home and abroad, the Somalia-based Islamist insurgent group has proved resilient despite strategic setbacks in recent years.

Timeline by Claire Klobucista, Jonathan Masters, Kevin Lizarazo and Jeremy Sherlick March 31, 2022

Ukraine

How Do the Militaries of Russia and Ukraine Stack Up?

Russia’s extraordinary show of force in and around Ukraine underscores the military imbalance between the two countries.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow February 4, 2022

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Why NATO Has Become a Flash Point With Russia in Ukraine

Russian leaders have watched with mounting resentment as the transatlantic alliance has nearly doubled its membership since the end of the Cold War. President Vladimir Putin has drawn a red line in Ukraine.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters January 20, 2022

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Guantanamo Bay: Twenty Years of Counterterrorism and Controversy

The U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has generated intense debate for two decades, raising enduring questions about national security, human rights, and justice.

Article by Jonathan Masters September 9, 2022

Transition 2021

The Biden-Harris Inauguration: A Tense Tableau

The inauguration of President Joe Biden was unlike any U.S. power transition in modern times, providing stark imagery of a country at a crossroads.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters January 21, 2021

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

How Is the U.S. Military Pivoting in Europe?

The U.S. military is considering some major shifts to its posture in Europe, including a large withdrawal from bases in Germany, that are raising security concerns on the continent.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow September 23, 2020

United States

Trump’s Threat to Use the Military Against Protesters: What to Know

Amid protests against racial injustice, can President Trump deploy the military to bring “law and order” to American streets?

In Brief by Jonathan Masters June 5, 2020

Treaties and Agreements

Open Skies: Another Dying Arms Control Agreement?

A pending U.S. withdrawal from the Treaty on Open Skies has alarmed some allies in Europe, who fear losing a valuable means of monitoring Russia.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters May 28, 2020

Economic Crises

How Will Aviation Giants Emerge From the Pandemic?

The coronavirus has cut into few industries more deeply than aviation and aerospace, putting some strategically important companies in dire financial straits.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters May 19, 2020

State and Local Governments (U.S.)

How COVID-19 Is Harming State and City Budgets

The coronavirus pandemic is placing enormous budget pressure on state and local governments, threatening deep and potentially lasting cuts to education, infrastructure, and other important investments.

Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and Jonathan Masters March 19, 2021

COVID-19

Coronavirus: How Are Countries Responding to the Economic Crisis?

The coronavirus pandemic is slowing global commerce to a crawl, but many of the world’s largest economies are taking extraordinary actions to propel them through the crisis.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters May 4, 2020

Ukraine

Ukraine: Conflict at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia

Ukraine’s Westward drift since independence has been countered by the sometimes violent tug of Russia, felt most recently with Putin’s 2022 invasion.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters February 14, 2023

Military Operations

Sea Power: The U.S. Navy and Foreign Policy

The U.S. Navy’s dominance of the world’s oceans has made it an indispensable foreign policy tool and a guarantor of global trade, but a mix of challenges is raising difficult questions about its future.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters June 12, 2024

International Law

What Is Extradition?

The extradition process enables governments to bring fugitives abroad to justice, but it can be fraught with political tension, even when a treaty is in place.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters January 8, 2020

Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament

The Ailing INF Treaty: What to Know

A collapse of this Cold War–era arms treaty, which many believe has favored the United States, could unleash a new age of nuclear weapons competition.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters January 28, 2019

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

NATO’s Trident Juncture Exercises: What to Know

The military exercises in and around Norway are a significant test of NATO’s collective defenses at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters October 23, 2018

United States

The Debate Over U.S. Security Clearances: What to Know

President Trump’s revocation of a former CIA director's security clearance has stirred up a debate about access to government secrets, free speech, and democratic norms.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters August 23, 2018

Saudi Arabia

Tesla: The Risks of a Foreign Buyout

If Tesla goes private with significant funding from Saudi Arabia or other foreign investors, it would raise national security and ethical questions.

In Brief by Jonathan Masters August 15, 2018

Syria

Legal Questions Loom Over Syria Strikes

In striking Syria without an international law justification, the United States leaves itself open to criticism and may invite similar behavior by other countries.

Interview with Jonathan Masters and John B. Bellinger III April 15, 2018 U.S. Foreign Policy Program

Russia

What’s Next for Russia’s Relations With the West?

The expulsion of Russian diplomats by more than twenty governments is a remarkable show of unity and a deepening of Moscow’s rift with the West.

Interview with Jonathan Masters and Stephen Sestanovich March 27, 2018 U.S. Foreign Policy Program

Russia

Are Cold War Spy-Craft Norms Fading?

A growing list of brazen foreign operations signals that there are few constraints on Russian intelligence under Vladimir Putin’s leadership.

Interview with Jonathan Masters and Jack Devine March 15, 2018

Russia

Russia, Trump, and the 2016 U.S. Election

Charges of foreign power interference in the U.S. presidential election have raised grave national security concerns and touched off multiple federal inquiries that could drag on for months.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters February 26, 2018

Defense and Security

Will FBI Sacking Affect National Security?

The dismissal of FBI Director James Comey raises concerns about the government’s ability to investigate Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and the broader national security role of the agency.

Interview with Jonathan Masters and Matthew C. Waxman May 15, 2017 U.S. Foreign Policy Program

Russia

Will FBI Sacking Affect National Security?

The dismissal of FBI Director James Comey raises concerns about the government’s ability to investigate Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and the broader national security role of the agency, says CFR’s Matthew Waxman.

Interview with Matthew C. Waxman and Jonathan Masters May 10, 2017

Arctic

The Arctic Is Integral to U.S. National Security

The Arctic should be a major consideration in discussions of U.S. national security, says Thad Allen, co-chair of CFR’s Independent Task Force on the Arctic.

Interview with Jonathan Masters and Thad W. Allen March 22, 2017

United States

U.S. Foreign Policy Powers: Congress and the President

The separation of powers has spawned a great deal of debate over the roles of the president and Congress in foreign affairs, as well as over the limits on their respective authorities, explains this Backgrounder.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters March 2, 2017

France

How Powerful Is France’s President?

The winner of the presidential election this spring will heavily influence how France approaches foreign and domestic issues, including its future with the European Union.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters February 1, 2017

Heads of State and Government

Campaign 2016

See where Donald Trump wants to take U.S. foreign policy

Interactive by Jonathan Masters December 2, 2016

United States

The U.S. Vice President and Foreign Policy

Modern vice presidents can trace much of their political influence to the broad reforms that Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale made to the second-highest elected office in the late 1970s.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters September 22, 2016

United States

The U.S. Vice President and Foreign Policy

Modern vice presidents can trace much of their political influence to the broad reforms that Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale made to the second-highest elected office in the late 1970s.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters February 8, 2024

United States

Foiling the Next U.S. Mass Shooting

Stricter gun laws and new civil society programs are needed to prevent the next mass shooting in the United States, says expert Karen Greenberg.

Interview with Karen J. Greenberg and Jonathan Masters June 13, 2016

United States

Foreign Policy at the U.S. National Political Conventions

Foreign policy issues regularly come to the fore at the national political conventions, especially during periods of global instability. Sometimes the events are marked by bitter disagreements within the parties.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters and Gopal Ratnam June 11, 2024

Immigration and Migration

The U.S. Supreme Court and Obama’s Immigration Actions

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to determine the fate of millions of undocumented immigrants and could influence how future presidents wield power.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters June 23, 2016

United States

The U.S. Presidential Nominating Process

Every four years, U.S. presidential candidates compete in a series of state contests to gain their party’s nomination. The political process is one of the most complex and expensive in the world.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters and Gopal Ratnam January 13, 2020

United States

Would a Paris Climate Deal Be Legally Binding on the U.S.?

The Obama administration has other methods to pursue a binding international agreement on climate change in Paris that fall short of a treaty, says CFR’s John B. Bellinger III.

Interview with Jonathan Masters November 24, 2015

China

A U.S. Naval Signal in the South China Sea

A U.S. destroyer’s recent operation demonstrates how the United States is protecting its interests in the South China Sea, says Capt. Sean Liedman, CFR’s Navy fellow.

Interview with Sean R. Liedman and Jonathan Masters October 28, 2015

United States

The GOP Debate: Room for Foreign Policy?

The Republican presidential candidates are aligned on most foreign policy issues, but they could quarrel over immigration and the Iran nuclear deal in their first debate, says CFR’s James M. Lindsay.

Interview with James M. Lindsay and Jonathan Masters August 5, 2015 U.S. Foreign Policy Program

United States

The Presidential Candidates: In Their Own Words

This regularly updated guide features transcripts from the Republican and Democratic presidential debates as well as select foreign policy speeches, op-eds, and interviews of the candidates.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters July 25, 2016

Iran

Navigating the Iran Sanctions Thicket

The prospect of sanctions relief as part of an Iran nuclear agreement has alarmed some in Congress, but they should see the value of a UN Security Council resolution affirming the deal, says CFR’s John B. Bellinger III.

Interview with Jonathan Masters March 27, 2015

Sanctions

What Are Economic Sanctions?

For many policymakers, economic sanctions have become the tool of choice to respond to major geopolitical challenges such as terrorism and conflict.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters June 24, 2024

Global

Will Journalism Suffer After the Paris Attack?

The terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo could have a chilling effect on the coverage of Islam in certain countries, says expert Karin Karlekar.

Interview with Karin Karlekar and Jonathan Masters January 12, 2015

Russia

The Russian Military

Military power has reemerged as an important component of Russian foreign policy, which some believe aims to reestablish Russian hegemony in the region.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters September 28, 2015

Americas

Amid Global Disorder, North America Should Tighten Bonds

It is time for the United States, Canada, and Mexico to take integration to the next level, coordinating more closely on energy, security, and trade policy, says Robert Zoellick, co-chair of a new CFR Independent Task Force Report.

Interview with Robert B. Zoellick and Jonathan Masters October 1, 2014

Syria

New Terror Threats Require New Law

The 2001 law that authorized the U.S. war against al-Qaeda and its affiliates is not an appropriate justification for the offensive against ISIS and other emerging terrorist groups, says CFR’s John Bellinger.

Interview with John B. Bellinger III and Jonathan Masters September 9, 2014

United States

Countering the U.S. Image Problem

Foreign media coverage of the social unrest in Ferguson reinforces damaging global perceptions of the United States, says expert Philip Seib.

Interview with Philip Seib and Jonathan Masters September 2, 2014

Global

Tremors from the BNP Paribas Case

The BNP Paribas case demonstrates the growing rigor of U.S. prosecutions of illicit finance, and will have implications for markets and the global banking industry, says expert Juan C. Zarate.

Interview with Juan Carlos Zarate and Jonathan Masters July 9, 2014

Digital Policy

What Is Internet Governance?

An intense international debate over who manages parts of the internet’s technical infrastructure is likely to feed a broader discussion of internet-related public policy.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters April 23, 2014

Ukraine

Punishing Russia Carries Risks

Tighter Western sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine may be necessary but could bring unwelcome consequences, explains CFR’s John Bellinger.

Interview with John B. Bellinger III and Jonathan Masters April 18, 2014

Ukraine

NATO’s Next Moves

NATO’s response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea may require it to bolster eastern European members with both military and non-military actions, says expert Christopher S. Chivvis.

Interview with Christopher S. Chivvis and Jonathan Masters March 20, 2014

Russia

Why the Crimean Referendum Is Illegitimate

The vote by some Crimean citizens to join Russia violates Ukrainian and international law and could come back to haunt Moscow, its primary backer, says CFR’s John Bellinger.

Interview with John B. Bellinger III and Jonathan Masters March 16, 2014

United States

Surveillance After Snowden

President Obama’s announced reforms should help restore public confidence in some controversial U.S. surveillance practices, says expert Andrew Weissmann.

Interview with Andrew Weissmann and Jonathan Masters January 17, 2014

Arctic

The Thawing Arctic: Risks and Opportunities

Nations are reexamining their interests and capabilities in the Arctic, as climate change in the region presents new economic opportunities and security challenges.

Backgrounder by Jonathan Masters December 16, 2013

United States

How Obama Brings Terrorists to Justice

The treatment of terrorism suspect Abu Anas al-Libi, who seems destined for trial in U.S. federal court, fits the Obama administration’s new protocol for such captures, says expert Stephen Vladeck.

Interview with Stephen I. Vladeck and Jonathan Masters October 9, 2013

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